Imagine a creature that could outrun Usain Bolt – a feathered, toothless dinosaur with a skull crowned with sharp spikes. Now imagine that same creature, millions of years later, poised to be sold to the highest bidder in a glamorous London auction. This is the story of "Spike," and it's sparking a heated debate about the future of paleontology.
For eons, Spike – a member of the caenagnathid family, likely roamed the lush wetlands and coastal plains of what we now know as Western North America. But recently, this ancient marvel has been residing in a high-end showroom in the heart of London, awaiting its fate at Christie's auction house.
James Hyslop, head of science and natural history at Christie's, was immediately captivated. "I'd never seen anything like it," he says, explaining his determination to bring this unique dinosaur to auction with a grand presentation. "It's exciting, it's fresh to market, it's exactly what people are looking for."
Spike, whose gender remains a mystery, earned its nickname from its distinctive, pointy skull. This Thursday, it goes under the hammer with an estimated price tag of £3 million to £5 million (or $6 million to $10 million). But here's where it gets controversial... some industry insiders believe that estimate is far too low. One source told ABC that Spike could potentially fetch double, or even several times, that amount. "All it takes is two bidders with deep pockets who see the value of the specimen."
Several factors contribute to Spike's uniqueness. Discovered in 2022, it might even represent an entirely new species. "Nothing like Spike has ever been seen before in the fossil record. The closest relative to it was only discovered 10 years ago," Hyslop explains. "Some of its close cousins are described by only a single bone at times, which is incredible work that paleontologists do to find a single fragment of jaw and describe an entire species that lived 68 million years ago."
And this is the part most people miss... Spike isn't just a fragment. It's a remarkably complete skeleton. "What we have here are a hundred fossil bones, making Spike one of the best of its kind in the world." To give you a sense of scale, Spike is slightly larger than an emu. This feathered, toothless creature was also incredibly powerful and fast.
"This creature could have run at about 40 miles an hour," Hyslop notes. "That's a few yards ahead of Usain Bolt in the 100 metres. If this thing is cross with you, you are not escaping. It's going to hunt you down." Furthermore, Spike lived right before the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs, making it one of the last of its kind. However, this week, Spike is the one being hunted – by wealthy collectors.
The fossil trade is booming globally, with a growing number of wealthy individuals eager to own a piece of prehistory. Last year, Sotheby's in New York City sold a stegosaurus skeleton named Apex for a record-breaking $45 million ($63 million AUD). David Aaron gallery in London, traditionally known for antiques and Islamic art, has also been dealing in dinosaur fossils for the past decade.
Salomon Aaron, a director at the gallery, confirms the trend. "The demand is growing exponentially," he says. "The trend is people want dinosaurs which are, I would say, more private-collector friendly. Size-wise, they can fit into a home." Spike's moderate size makes it particularly appealing to this market, although Aaron's gallery is not handling this particular sale.
But here's where it gets really interesting... The rising popularity of the private fossil trade is raising serious ethical questions. The idea that significant specimens could be acquired by private collectors and potentially lost to science forever has sparked outrage among some paleontologists.
While regulations vary by country, the exhumation and export of dinosaurs like Spike – found on private land in the United States – is perfectly legal. "There is no doubt that as a result of the private trade, there are dinosaurs which will go into private collections and may be lost to science or not put on public display," Aaron admits. But he also offers a counterpoint: "Equally, if it were not for the private trade, many dinosaur fossils would never be discovered or would just waste away over time because of general decay or natural events."
Aaron emphasizes his gallery's commitment to ethical practices, stating that he always offers fossils to museums first. When museums struggle to secure funding, he leverages his network of clients to purchase the fossils and donate them. Earlier this year, he used this approach to ensure that an Enigmacursor – a new species – was gifted to London's Natural History Museum (NHM), along with research funding. "Along with that purchase was a significant amount of funds for research, so it's a complete win-win for everyone," he says.
Professor Susannah Maidment, a dinosaur researcher at the NHM, hasn't personally examined Spike. "The information that they [Christie's] have put out is that it could be a new species," she states. "It might be something that we as a museum would be really keen on purchasing or acquiring." However, she acknowledges the financial challenges. "But the problem with fossil auctions and particularly with dinosaur fossils is that the prices they tend to reach are way beyond the acquisition budgets of the vast majority of museums and certainly beyond us."
Despite these challenges, Maidment recognizes that the private fossil trade isn't entirely negative, particularly in its ability to inspire amateur fossil hunters and promote scientific engagement. "I think it would be really great if there was some sort of scheme where they [fossils] were offered for sale for a reasonable amount – not auction amounts – to museums, who would be given the opportunity to acquire them first," she suggests.
Spike has been on public display at Christie's for about a week, and soon, its new owner will be revealed. "Most dinosaurs that make big prices at auctions end up being seen next in museums," Hyslop predicts. "The people who collect these things want to share them with the world. They like the idea of people being able to access the specimens and study them."
Christie's has also made Spike accessible to the scientific community during its temporary custodianship, and Hyslop hopes that the future owner will follow suit. So, what do you think? Is the private fossil trade a boon or a bane for paleontology? Should there be more regulations to ensure that important specimens end up in museums? Or does the potential for discovery outweigh the risk of privatization? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
